Fourth Sunday of Advent
Reading 1 Isaiah 7:10-14
The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying:
Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God;
let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
"I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!"
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary people,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6.
R. (7c and 10b) Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
The LORD's are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
Reading 2 Romans 1:1-7
Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus,
called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God,
which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,
the gospel about his Son, descended from David according to the flesh,
but established as Son of God in power
according to the Spirit of holiness
through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Through him we have received the grace of apostleship,
to bring about the obedience of faith,
for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles,
among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ;
to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Alleluia Matthew 1:23
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Matthew 1:18-24
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
"Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means "God is with us."
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Saturday, January 25, 2025
Happy Saturday, friend! We are so excited to share with you what's coming up this week as we all prepare our hearts by praying with readings for Sunday, the day of rest with our Lord.
Live Liturgically // This Week’s Feast Days
Saturday, January 25 (today!)// Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle
Sunday, January 26 // Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Monday, January 27 // Optional Memorial of Saint Angela Merici, Virgin
Tuesday, January 28 //Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Friday, January 31, 2025 // Memorial of Saint John Bosco, Priest
Letter from the Editor //
Dear Sister,
In the Gospel for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Saint Luke tells us that he “decided, after investigating everything accurately anew, to write it down in an orderly sequence for you” (Luke 1:3). He acknowledges that others who were eyewitnesses, have already done so, but he felt called to share his perspective, to speak to people and share their part in the narrative, and to give us stories such as the nativity of Saint John the Baptist and the Annunciation. He saw that, following in the footsteps of Jesus, he was anointed to bring “glad tidings” (Luke 4:18). Luke’s traveling companion, Saint Paul, tells us in the Second Reading that each and every one of us is “necessary” to the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:22).
Like Saint Luke, our telling of Christ’s story and our experience of Him in our own lives is important. At our Baptism, we were given the gift of prophecy to proclaim the truth of God’s love, and we were sent out like the apostles at our Confirmation. Our smallest acts of love can become mighty deeds that bring about the Lord’s healing in hearts that are wounded. Our tongues can interpret God’s message in a way no one else can proclaim it (see 1 Corinthians 12:28-30). Like the people returned from exile in First Reading from Nehemiah, there are people who have not heard the good news of God’s love, and the day you speak it to them will be “holy to our LORD” (Nehemiah 8:10). And as we do so, may the words of our mouths and the thoughts of our hearts find favor before the Lord (see Psalm 19:15).
I am praying you know His love for you, dear sister.
With You In Christ’s Body,
Susanna
Read the Readings for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time:
First Reading // Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10
Psalm // Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 15
Second Reading // 1 Corinthians 12:12-30
Gospel // Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21
Prayer Practice // Ask the Lord to show you where He is calling you to speak the Gospel to others this week, both through your loving actions and charitable words.
Susanna Spencer holds a master's in Theology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville and is the Devotions Editor for Blessed is She. She is a freelance writer and editor and a teacher-in-training living with her philosopher husband and four kids in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She loves reading theology, attending beautiful liturgies, cooking delicious food, and casually following baseball. She is the author of the Gospel Studies including Seek His Kingdom: A Meditation on Matthew , Listen to Him: A Meditation on Mark, and Abide in His Love: A Meditation on John. She was narrator for Found: Advent With the Good Shepherd and Rescued: Lent With the Lamb of God and a contributing author and editor for our children’s devotional prayer book, Rise Up. She was the Theological Editor of the Blessed Conversations Studies. Find out more about her here.
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